Chapter 3

The anger in Julian's eyes flared. He grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the cafe and shoving me into the passenger seat of his car, completely ignoring whether a "blind" person could handle his rough grip.

He slammed his door, buckled his seatbelt, and slammed his foot onto the gas pedal.

"Nora, do I have to revolve my entire fucking life around you for you to be satisfied?!"

Each word was laced with venom and disgust.

The window was rolled down, and the freezing wind roared into the car, swallowing my response.

"Julian, slow down... please... I'm scared..."

Memories of the car accident flashed before my eyes. My parents had been arguing violently in the front seat. In a fit of rage, my dad accelerated, crashing head-on into an overturned semi-truck.

My mother had thrown her body over mine, saving my life at the cost of her own.

"Julian... please..."

The wind howled. Julian's profile remained cold and unyielding, completely indifferent to my terror.

I gripped the seatbelt so hard my knuckles turned white.

Just when I thought my chest would explode from panic, he finally slammed on the brakes.

I fumbled for the door handle, pushed it open, and stumbled out. My foot slipped, and I hit the pavement hard.

My stomach churned, and I dry-heaved, vomiting nothing but bitter stomach acid onto the asphalt.

"Nora... are you okay?" Julian's voice carried a sudden hint of panic.

I clutched my chest, ignoring him.

"I was just mad, okay?" he muttered, his tone turning defensive. "We had a deal, and then you went and ratted me out to my mom. Of course I lost my temper."

Shaking, I pushed myself up from the ground. He reached out to help me, but I shoved his hands away with all my strength.

Julian stared at his rejected hands, his jaw tightening.

"Nora, can you stop acting like this? You’re the one who did something wrong, so why do I always have to be the one apologizing? Just because you're bli—"

He cut himself off, but the blow had already landed.

My body trembled. Tears escaped my eyes, hot and unstoppable.

He kicked the car tire in frustration, running a hand through his hair. He looked at me with a messy mix of guilt and annoyance. "Look... I didn't mean it like that."

I shook my head, wiping my tears away as I turned my face. "No, you're right. I complained to Helen. I'm a helpless cripple, so you're obligated to babysit me for the rest of your life."

My words ignited his temper again. He let out a harsh scoff. "You know what, Nora? I don't owe you a damn thing."

"There are plenty of cabs here. Get home yourself."

He got back into his car, slammed the door, and sped off without looking back.

I stared at the empty road, feeling completely hollow.

Was this really the same boy who had promised to protect me from the world?

He used to say that as long as he was around, he would never let anyone hurt me. But now, the person hurting me the most was him.

Crying silently, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time.

"Ethan? Is that voice-acting gig still open?"